Sugar cane topping cutter and selective cut top director

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to a device for topping sugar cane stalks while harvesting same which provides a flat walled structure which rotates with the topping cutter to provide a flat positive knocking surface to engage the cut top and knock it to either the right or left side of the harvester. The topper drive is reversible so that cut cane tops may be knocked to either the left or right side of the harvester.

Umted States Patent 1 [111 3,772,864 Rodrigue Nov. 20, 1973 [54]:gfggifggggggggggg: FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 405,003 4/1966Australia 56/63 [75] Inventor: Kenneth Rodrigue, Thibodaux, La. 409,96110/1966 Australia 56/63 [73] Assignee: Cane Machinery & EngineeringCompany, Inc., Thibodaux, La. Primary ExaminerAntoni0 F. Guida Filed:Mar. 1973 Attorney-Robert A. Theibault [21] Appl. No.: 338,275

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 247,163, April24, 1972, abandoned.

U.S. Cl. 56/63, 56/10.7, 56/503 Int. Cl A01d 45/02 Field of Search56/10.7, 63, 503

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Makeham 56/10.7

[5 7 ABSTRACT The present disclosure is directed to a device for toppingsugar cane stalks while harvesting same which provides a flat walledstructure which rotates with the topping cutter to provide a flatpositive knocking surface to engage the cut top and knock it to eitherthe right or left side of the harvester. The topper drive is reversibleso that cut cane tops may be knocked to either the left or right side ofthe harvester 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SUGAR CANE TOPPING CUTTER ANDSELECTIVE CUT TOP DIRECTOR This application is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 247,163, filed Apr. 24, 1972 now abandoned, for ASUGAR CANE TOPPING CUTTER AND SELEC- TIVE CUT TOP DIRECTOR.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedtopping cutter for a sugar cane harvester of the type genrally shown inUS. Pat. No. 3,56l,l97 granted Feb. 9, I971 in which a topping cutter isprovided with a flat walled plural faced structure which upstands fromand rotates with the topping cutter and which will engage the severedtops and selectively knock the tops to either side of the harvester.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of areversibly driven topper which cooperates with a flat walled structurein the form of a regular N- sided polygon of box like configuration tocontrol the positive directional throw of cut cane tops to either sideof the harvester.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention will be morefully described hereinafter and more particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings in which like parts are denoted by reference charactersthroughout the several views:

FIG. I is a front elevational view ofa sugar cane harvester equippedwith the improved topper of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the topper circular cutting disk shown inthe N-sided flat walled regular polygon structure for knocking away cutcane tops.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a modified form of flat walled structureupstanding from the circular cutting disc for knocking away cut canetops to either side of the harvester.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken through the improved topper structureshown in FIGJ 1 showing its drive connection.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 4.

Referring now to FIG. 1, designates generally a Louisiana-type sugarcane harvester having front end cane gathering chains 11 and 12 whichdirect the sugar cane to an erect position and guide it to the harvesterthroat 13 where at the top is located the reversible cane topper 14 ofthe present invention.

The topper 14, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 has a circular cutting disc15 secured to rotate with a drive shaft 16, driven through a universal17 by a reversible hydraulic motor 18. Outwardly of the shaft 16 is aflat walled structure 19 in the form of a square box like structurehaving a plurality of flat walls for engaging the cut cane tops andknocking or directing them selectively to either side of the harvester.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 the flat walledN-sided polygonal structure is shown as a square box structure in crosssection; however, any regular N-sided polygon having flat walls willwork such as a pentagon or hexigon.

A modified form of the flat walled structure is shown in FIG. 3 in whicha plurality of flat walled blades 19A extend radially from a hub 20secured to shaft 16 for rotation therewith. The vertical height of theblades 19A would be the same as the flat walls of the sides of the boxlike structure 19 shown in FIG. 5.

The reversible hydraulic motor 18 is under the control of a reversiblyactuatable valve in the harvesters hydraulic system (not shown) and islocated at the harvester operator control console.

When it is desired to direct the cut cane tops away from a field ofstanding cane, depending upon the direction of travel of the harvesterthe operator will cause the topper to rotate in the direction away fromthe standing cane so that the flat walls of the box-like structure 19 orthe blades 19A in the embodiment of FIG. 3 will engage the severed cutcane tops and direct them in the desired direction of deposit.

What I claim:

1. For use with a sugar cane harvester having a prime mover and drivesystem for actuating rotary cane earth severing cutters and toppers, asugar cane topping cutter and selective cut top director comprising:

a. a substantially fiat rotary circular cutter;

b. a single vertical flat walled box-like structure upstanding from saidcircular cutter and secured thereto; and

c. reversible drive means adapted to be connected to the drive systemand to selectively drive said cutter and flat walled box-like structureclockwise and counter clockwise for knocking out tops to either theright or left side of the harvester away from the harvester sideadjacent the rows of cane to be cut.

2. A sugar cane topping cutter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closedvertically flat walled structure is a regular box-type N-sided polygon.

3. A sugar cane topping cutter as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidreversible drive means is a reversible hydraulic motor connected torotatably drive said cutter and flat walled structure.

4. A sugar cane harvester comprising, a mobile frame having a primemover and drive system for actuating a rotary cane earth severing cutterand topper, gathering chains extending forwardly and disposed in spacedforwardly divergent relationship to the topper, said sugar cane toppercomprising a substantially flat rotary circular cutter, a singlevertical walled closed structure upstanding from said circular cutterand secured thereto, the axis of rotation of said single vertical flatwalled closed structure being substantially vertical and disposedbetween the spaced gathering chains and reversible drive means connectedto said drive system to selectively drive said cutter and substantiallyflat walled closed structure clockwise and counterclockwise for knockingcut tops to either the right or left side of the harvester away from theharvester side adjacent the rows of cane to be cut.

5. A sugar cane harvester as claimed in claim 4 wherein said singlevertical walled closed structure is a multiplicity of cornersjoinedtogether by walls therebetween to define said closed wall structure.

1. For use with a sugar cane harvester having a prime mover and drivesystem for actuating rotary cane earth severing cutters and toppers, asugar cane topping cutter and selective cut top director comprising: a.a substantially flat rotary circular cutter; b. a single vertical flatwalled box-like structure upstanding from said circular cutter andsecured thereto; and c. reversible drive means adapted to be connectedto the drive system and to selectively drive said cutter and flat walledbox-like structure clockwise and counter clockwise for knocking cut topsto either the right or left side of the harvester away from theharvester side adjacent the rows of cane to be cut.
 2. A sugar canetopping cutter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closed vertically flatwalled structure is a regular box-type N-sided polygon.
 3. A sugar canetopping cutter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reversible drive meansis a reversible hydraulic motor connected to rotatably drive said cutterand flat walled structure.
 4. A sugar cane harvester comprising, amobile frame having a prime mover and drive system for actuating arotary cane earth severing cutter and topper, gathering chains extendingforwardly and disposed in spaced forwardly divergent relationship to thetopper, said sugar cane topper comprising a substantially flat rotarycircular cutter, a single vertical walled closed structure upstandingfrom said circular cutter and secured thereto, the axis of rotation ofsaid single vertical flat walled closed structure being substantiallyvertical and disposed between the spaced gathering chains and reversibledrive means connected to said drive system to selectively drive saidcutter and substantially flat walled closed structure clockwise andcounterclockwise for knocking cut tops to either the right or left sideof the harvester away from the harvester side adjacent the rows of caneto be cut.
 5. A sugar cane harvester as claimed in claim 4 wherein saidsingle vertical walled closed structure is a multiplicity of cornersjoined together by walls therebetween to define said closed wallstructure.